In Surah As-Sajdah (32:5), the Quran declares about the divine command: "He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count" (ููุฏูุจููุฑู ุงููุฃูู ูุฑู ู ููู ุงูุณููู ูุงุกู ุฅูููู ุงููุฃูุฑูุถู ุซูู ูู ููุนูุฑูุฌู ุฅููููููู ููู ููููู ู ููุงูู ู ูููุฏูุงุฑููู ุฃููููู ุณูููุฉู ู ููู ููุง ุชูุนูุฏููููู).
Surah Al-Ma'arij (70:4) also mentions: "The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years" (ุชูุนูุฑูุฌู ุงููู ูููุงุฆูููุฉู ููุงูุฑูููุญู ุฅููููููู ููู ููููู ู ููุงูู ู ูููุฏูุงุฑููู ุฎูู ูุณูููู ุฃููููู ุณูููุฉู).
The relativity of time
These verses introduce a revolutionary notion: time is not absolute but relative. A single "day" can correspond to a thousand or fifty thousand earthly years depending on the frame of reference.
This idea, inconceivable in the 7th century, was confirmed by Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity (1905) and general relativity (1915). Time flows differently depending on speed and gravitation: this is time dilation.
The speed of light
Some researchers have proposed an analysis linking these verses to the speed of light. The speed of light was first measured by Ole Rรธmer in 1676, then refined by many physicists. Einstein demonstrated in 1905 that it constitutes an absolute limit in the universe.
These verses emphasize the relativity of time, a concept that modern science only discovered in the 20th century, fourteen centuries after the Quranic revelation.